


Lashes of Life

by kotodamaxx



Series: Crawling from the Bottom [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Forced Prostitution, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:49:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotodamaxx/pseuds/kotodamaxx
Summary: J'tonio Hernandez has never had an easy life, being ostracized from his tribe for simply being born has put a large weight on his shoulders and that of his mother, who would do anything for their survival.
Series: Crawling from the Bottom [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2183295
Kudos: 4





	Lashes of Life

**Author's Note:**

> J'tonio, his mother, and everyone from the tribe speak what would be Final Fantasy XIV's version of Spanish. All the other characters that show up speak Eorzean. 
> 
> What his mother tells him, "Be a good boy and stay home."

His earliest memories of pirates were when large hands touched his head, petting his unruly hair as he clung to his mother’s skirt. His face was obscured by his hat, but everyone to his five-winter-old self seemed to be threatening and intimidating.   
  
He clung tighter when his mother would reach for his hands.   
  
She always had to go somewhere else whenever this man and his crew showed up.   
  
“Sea un buen niño y quédate en la casa,” she would kiss the top of his head and instruct him like so each time. 

~~  
  
“Your mother is a whore, and so are you.” J’tonio laid on the sand of the beach, his back bloodied while his arms and legs were being held down by two other miqo’te. He had been warned by his mother. He couldn’t trust anyone from the tribe. Yet he had thought that the boy who now stood over him was different. That he saw him as another person. 

His hair was pulled causing him to whimper in pain while he was forced to look up at the boy he had thought had loved him, “If you hadn’t been born, your mother wouldn’t have to sell herself for supplies. Our leader would be happier. Our tribe would be happier.” 

J’tonio could only watch blankly, his tears dry and his throat sore from screaming.   
  
“What’s going on here?!” The three boys that had been holding on to him were quick to let him go, letting J’tonio collapse on the ground with another groan. “You know the rules of the tribe. You are not to cross over to this side of the island, least you bring more misfortune by interacting with that… _Thing._ ” 

The three boys knew better than to argue with the leader’s eldest son, and therefore the next leader, J’qhucoh. They were quick to disperse after hearing the older man tell them to go through the rite of purification while J’tonio remained laying on the sand, blood trickling down his sides. 

It wasn’t until they were out of sight that J’qhucoh finally approached him, “What did they do to you…” He whispered softly, before another set of steps could be heard approaching them before they sped up and coming to a halt next to them.   
  
“J’tonio…” it was his mother’s voice, but he was so tired. His voice was hoarse, but just hearing his mother’s broken voice was enough to bring out more tears.   
  
“Mami--I,” he sobbed as he tried to sit up, flinching and had to rely on his older brother for support, “Mami, I’m sorry--” before he could continue, his mother simply held on to him as gently as possible as they both sobbed. They were both being driven to an edge where the only one who could see their suffering, J’qhucoh, was still powerless to do anything to make it right, so long as his father and the rest of the tribe thought of them as nuisances.   
  
~~   
  
It would take moons for his injuries to heal, the boys who had attacked him had carved out their names on his back, leaving deep scars that would never go away. At the same time, his mother began showing signs of being gravely ill, pushing herself to entertain the pirates that would come to their doorstep.   
  
It came to the point where his mother could no longer stand without any assistance and he had to make sure she stayed in bed, “Mami, you have worked so hard for me up until now, please, let me take over for you. You need rest. You can’t keep doing this…”

She tried arguing with him, telling him how he didn’t know what he’s agreeing to do, but just like her, he was stubborn, and he made her stay in bed resting while he headed towards the ship. 

“What’s this? We have been expecting your mother, boy.” J’tonio could barely understand him as he barely spoke their language, but he bit his lower lip as he looked up at the Roegadyn man that had stopped in front of him.  
  
“My mother sick, I work for her.” He was nervous, but determined. If they would have him, he could take over her work and let her rest.   
  
“You’ll work for her, huh?” Another man had come down to see what was taking so long, he was an elezen man with tan skin and icy blue eyes. He lifted J’tonio’s chin to look at him, “You are very pretty, you might be a man, but,” he eyed him from head to toe, “Yes, you’ll do nicely.”   
  
~~   
  
Three years. J’tonio did everything he could for the next three years to keep his mother healthy and alive, but in the end, without anyone to properly diagnose and heal her, she ended up passing away, leaving him alone in an island full of people who hated him. J’tonio sat next to the grave that he had made for his mother. What was he to do now?   
  
“Ah, there you are boy,” the pirate crew had started to come by more often, it had been a curse and a blessing for J’tonio. They had provided him with medicine to lessen his mother’s pain throughout the years and had provided plenty of food for him to cook for her in exchange for his services.   
  
“Captain Radault,” he whispered softly as his gaze shifted to look at him. He hadn’t moved from the side of his mother’s grave.   
  
“You have nothing left here, boy. Why don’t you come with us? I’ll treat you well,” he approached J’tonio’s side and gently started playing with his ears, “You’re not wanted here by the tribe, why not come with me and you’ll be spoiled by my side.”   
  
He was used to being touched by now, used to the sweet things that the captain would whisper in his ears. He had no feelings for him, but Auvront Radault was right, he didn’t have anything or anyone left in this island. If he had any chance of surviving, of perhaps making a new life for himself, perhaps he still had some use left of the captain. 

“Okay,” he whispered softly, leaning against the captain’s hand, “I’ll be yours.” _For now._


End file.
